Dirty Havana Trilogy

Set in Cuba, it's excellently written if a little depressing because of it's portrayal of endemic and relentless poverty. It's told from the perspective of the author's life on the street. There's very little overt politics included but of course it seeps into the character’s lives even if they don't acknowledge it. One of the interesting points made is that early attempts to leave the island were hampered by the Cuban authorities and assisted by the US. By the time this is set (the mid 1990's) the situation has reversed; people leaving on make-shift rafts are cheered and wished good luck by those left behind (who no longer see it as a betrayal) and it is the US that is repelling the bids to enter. But mostly it's tales of drinking, sex, violence and basic survival. It has an unusual style for a novel; each of the chapters could easily be a short story in it own right